By Livio Caferoglu

Elsewhere, Parma end a run of three straight defeats in style against Cagliari while Luigi Del Neri looks to have been given a stay of execution at Genoa following their draw

UDINESE 1-1 PALERMO

Ten-man Udinese had Antonio Di Natale to thank for the umpteenth time, as the Italy forward rescued a 1-1 draw for the Zebrette in their match against Palermo on Saturday.

It was the Rosanero who took the initiative on 33 minutes through Josip Ilicic. The Slovenian's speculative attempt from distance was misjudged by Zeljko Brkic, who appeared to have gone to ground too early.

Things soon got from bad to worse for the hosts when Thomas Heurtaux was sent off for a second bookable offence on Argentine defender Santiago Garcia midway through the second half.

But Udinese were not to be denied a point as Luis Muriel's shot was swept in by Di Natale on the rebound with just one minute of normal time remaining.

They fall to ninth in the Serie A standings, while Palermo leapfrog Pescara out of the relegation zone.

CATANIA 3-1 SAMPDORIA

Catania were forced to come back from behind for a second week running to emerge as 3-1 victors over Sampdoria at the Angelo Massimino on Sunday.

Mauro Icardi's winding run into the box attracted a foul from Nicola Legrottaglie, thereby allowing Enzo Maresca to open the floodlights from the penalty spot on 29 minutes.

But 10 minutes after the interval, Gonzalo Bergessio's lay-off on the edge of the area was slammed in with aplomb by Mario Paglialunga for his first goal in an Elefanti jersey.

Bergessio then turned scorer soon after, jumping highest at the far post to head home Giovanni Marchese's cross, and Lucas Castro rounded off the victory with a side-footed finish following Jonathan Rossini's error.

The win sees Catania move to eighth in Serie A, but another defeat for Sampdoria means they fall to 14th place.

After just 16 minutes at the Artemio Franchi, Luca Toni gave the Viola the lead by meeting Manuel Pasqual's pinpoint cross, and moments later, David Pizarro's penalty made it 2-0 after the veteran striker was hacked down in the box by Felipe.

The hosts scored another on the cusp of half-time when Romulo's ball was fizzed across goal, giving Alberto Aquilani the simple task of tapping in with the net at his mercy.

Siena did manage to pull one back on the break through Reginaldo, who rifled a finish into the top corner following Alessandro Rosina's surging run, but Toni's header restored Fiorentina's three-goal advantage with 10 minutes remaining.

Fiorentina lie in fifth place, three points clear of Roma, but Siena fall four points adrift and remain rock bottom of the table, as Serse Cosmi's reign at the Bianconeri reached its conclusion.

CHIEVO 1-0 ROMA

Roma's run of five straight victories came to a halt on Sunday, as Chievo took advantage of the foggy conditions in Verona to record a late 1-0 success.

The win was all the more sweeter for the Flying Donkeys, who had never beaten the Giallorossi on home soil prior to this weekend, but their cause was greatly aided by the misty climate which coated the Bentegodi.

The winning goal came on 88 minutes when Sergio Pellissier latched onto a long ball and beat the offside trap to poke the ball past Mauro Goicoechea.

Roma fall behind Fiorentina after previously tying the Viola in fourth place, but Chievo continue to go from strength to strength under Eugenio Corini and jump to 11th.

GENOA 1-1 TORINO

Luigi Del Neri appears to have survived another day in the Genoa hotseat, as his side came from behind to draw 1-1 with Torino at the Marassi.

Former Rossoblu winger Valter Birsa applied the cross for unmarked team-mate Rolando Bianchi to head home on 19 minutes, but not long later, Andrea Bertolacci's corner found a similarly free Andreas Granqvist for a share of the spoils.

Marco Rossi appeared to have won the match for the Ligurians immediately after the break, but his finish was ruled offside. Nonetheless, Genoa stay 19th in Serie A but a point clearer to salvation. The Granata, meanwhile, fall to 15th.

PARMA 4-1 CAGLIARI

Parma returned to winning ways in impressive fashion after they swept aside Cagliari 4-1 at the Ennio Tardini to inflict a fifth loss in six matches on the visitors.

Marco Sau's reputation as a goalscoring midfielder is showing no signs of abating as his lob over Antonio Mirante was his fifth of the season for the struggling Sardinians, who took an early lead in Emilia-Romagna.

But only a minute later, Ishak Belfodil beat his marker to head his side back on level terms, and the former Olympique Lyonnais forward's audacious chipped effort was finished by Jonathan Biabiany on 55 minutes to complete the turnaround.

Michael Agazzi then brought down Marco Parolo in the box and went the wrong way when Jaime Valdes made it 3-1 from the penalty spot just past the hour mark.

Belfodil then wrapped up a virtuoso display for the Gialloblu by shaking off Lorenzo Ariaudo effortlessly with his back to goal and fired a stunning strike low and hard with moments of normal time left.

Parma are now 10th in Serie A, but Cagliari fall dangerously down the table and into 16th place.

NAPOLI 2-3 BOLOGNA

Napoli and Bologna contested a thrilling clash at the San Paolo to bring the curtains down on the weekend's action, and it was the Rossoblu who ultimately prevailed 3-2 thanks to a pair of late goals.

The visitors, arguably against the run of play, went ahead inside 10 minutes, when Nicolo Cherubin's lung-bursting gallop down the left flank resulted in a cross which Manolo Gabbiadini kneed home at the far post.

Bologna were then left to rue an incorrect offside call on Alberto Gilardino's goalbound header, as Lorenzo Insigne's low shot was parried out by Federico Agliardi. Fortunately for the hosts, Alessandro Gamberini was on hand to net the equaliser.

The match was finely poised for the remaining 40 minutes, but Edinson Cavani thought he had won the points for Napoli when he headed his side in front midway through the second half.

However, the visitors did not throw in the towel, and their persistence was repaid with Panagiotis Kone's stupendous scissor-kick volley from inside the box on 87 minutes which Morgan De Sanctis was nowhere near.

The Greek's contender for goal of the season served as inspiration for Bologna, who went onto find the winner two minutes later via Alessandro Diamanti's free kick, which was nodded in by Daniele Portanova against his former employers.

Napoli fail to capitalise on Inter's defeat to Lazio and remain third. Bologna, however, climb to 13th in the Serie A standings.